ANNOUNCING EXCLUSIVE JANOME KIMBERBELL EMBROIDERY EVENTS

JANOME HAS PARTNERED WITH KIMBERBELL FOR A EXCLUSIVE EMBROIDERY EVENT. These events will be hosted by select Janome Canada dealers in the coming months. The first one is coming up at the end of this month with Triangle Sewing in Ontario as the host store on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th May. You may register with Triangle Sewing for this 2 day event but hurry as registration closes very soon!! (so that we can get the kit into your hands before the event). More information about what will be happening during this exciting embroidery event is below + the dealer will give you more information as well

Click here for a quick video to whet your appetite for this fun 2 day embroidery event!!

Please note that Janome America is offering the same program – Please contact Janome America for further information if you live in the USA.

Kimberbell is a US based embroidery company which specializes in embroidery designs and projects (with kits) of a very high standard + much more. Check out their website) . They have a lot of IN-THE-HOOP embroidery projects and we are bringing you 4 wonderful exclusive to Janome projects to make over the 2 day embroidery retreat with a Family Game Night theme. The techniques you will learn and fun you will have is going to be BIG!

It will be a total of approx 10 hours over 2 days spent with our Janome Canada educators as we lead you through how to make each of the projects in a systematic and easy to understand step-by-step process. There is a Kit which includes nearly all the materials needed for the projects as well as the project embroidery designs and 3 bonus designs too! Only things not included are stabilizer, thread and 2 small pieces of interfacing – all probably items you have on hand at home. If not, Triangle Sewing will be able to assist you after you have registered for the event with them.

This is a VIRTUAL event so you do not have to drag your embroidery machine anywhere!! You just need your computer or mobile device to log on to the class and your embroidery machine nearby to get stuck into a lot of fun embroidery.

Machines suitable for this event are the Janome MC15000 and Janome MC550E although designs may also be stitched on the Janome MC12000 and MC500E.

Krista and Nancy at Triangle Sewing will have all the information you need. If you live in Canada, we are also very happy to reply to queries in the comment box below this post.

All our educators have been trained on and have made all 4 of these projects and we are SEW ready to share them with you and visit with you virtually in the comfort of your and our homes!!

DON’T DELAY!! REGISTER TODAY AND JOIN US FOR A WHOLE LOT OF EMBROIDERY FUN.

Be sure to FOLLOW Janome Life blog to get similar announcements of more Kimberbell events coming + a lot of other good sewing and embroidery information.

HOMEMADE HOLIDAYS VIRTUAL SEWING EVENT

If you perhaps attended the Homemade Sewing event back in March hosted by Jennifer Tryon of Tryon a Homemade Life, you will know that a great deal of fun was had by all. Hundreds of people attended and learned so much as well as they got a whole variety of sewing projects done! There were all sorts of different projects as well as workshops.

The good news is that Jennifer Tryon is hosting another virtual event in August called Homemade holidays with all sorts of great sewing for Halloween and Christmas. It is an ideal opportunity to get a head start on your holiday sewing AND have a huge amount of fun and learning. Janome Canada is once more a sponsor of this event.

You might want to check out the link above sooner rather than later as Jennifer will be capping the registration numbers so that she can order supplies and then pack up and ship fabulous goodie boxes to everyone before the event. Registrations are now open so you probably should not delay!

3 educators at Janome Canada are bringing you great sewing, quilting and embroidery information: Michael, Amanda and Liz.

Michael is going to get you making your very own cozy PJ pants way ahead of winter.

Amanda will share her passion for paper foundation piecing as you make a lovely holiday garland wall hanging.

Confused about what stabilizer to use and when? Liz will take the mystery out of this for you!

Amanda’s Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP) is perfect for a beginner and experienced alike. While making this modern wreath you will learn all the basics of the technique and Amanda will share many of her tips and tricks to take your FPP to a whole new level.

And there is much more! Check out the video link to get the full story on who everyone is and what they are going to be doing at Homemade Holidays!! Here is a just a taste of what is coming!!

Jen Tryon is teaching free standing lace embroidered napkins and a fun Halloween garland.

And Heather Bailey is back. She taught that super popular apron last time. This time it is cute Halloween stuffies.

And there is an add on garment sewing class to make this very pretty top – with Ghazal Razavi

and Dana Willard is the dynamic key note speaker.

More projects from Sew4Home to inspire you to “sew up a storm” with your Janome!

Full project instructions included on www.janome.ca .……keep reading.

Beginner Friendly Tote Bags + Janome 234 Beginner friendly for sure, but the style is so cute and classic, anyone can have fun creating one or both. You’ll learn about and make: crisp boxed corners, motif-matched exterior pockets, beautifully coordinated linings, topstitching details, plus two different handle styles. We recommend the affordable Janome 234 as a perfect entry level model to take on all these tasks and more. It features 15 built-in stitches, adjustable stitch width and length, a four-step buttonhole, and an easy access free arm.

> Click to view instructions and patterns

Featured Accessories:  Quarter Inch Seam Foot and Edge Guide Foot for precise topstitching

Set of Three Nested Sewing Baskets + Janome 4120QDCYou can never have too many places to keep your stuff – especially your sewing stuff! This nested set includes a large basket with full looped handles plus two smaller ones with handy grab-tabs. Rick rack and button accents add a vintage vibe. Our choice for the project is the power and precision of the Janome 4120QDC. Not only can you handle the 3D basket construction with ease, you can take advantage of its 120 built-in stitches with on-screen stitch editing to add your own custom topstitching accents.

> Click to view instructions

Featured Accessories:  Walking or Even Feed Foot to help handle the multiple layers

Time Flies Quilt + Continental M7Flying geese blocks, combined with the unique vintage fabric motifs, are what give this beautiful 45” x 56” quilt its name. Our go-to machine for this quilt – or really ANY quilting project – is Janome’s top-of-the line powerhouse, the Continental M7. It has the largest sewing space available on any home use sewing machine, which gave us the perfect surface to smoothly and easily handle this project’s sample style quilting, using a variety of techniques for each fabric within the quilt top.

> Click to view instructions

Featured Accessories:  Quarter Inch Seam Foot, Ditch Quilting Foot, Free Motion Quilting Foot

Have you been inspired to get sewing? We sure hope so!

Our fingers are sure itching to get stitching!

Janome HQ’s Instagram LIVE TODAY, WEDNESDAY 1pm EST

Join us LIVE at 1pm EST @janomehq Instagram page every Wednesday afternoon for our series, “Janome’s Magical Machine Mystery Tour” as we highlight a different machine in the Janome line. From entry level to Top of the Line; embroidery machines; longarm quilting machines; sergers and MORE, including some fabulous partner products to compliment those machines!

What machine and Janome goodies will we talk about this week? It’s a MYSTERY so you must tune in each week for the big reveal! Don’t worry if you can’t make the LIVE presentation, though. They’ll be stored in the IGTV icon on the Janome HQ Instagram Page and later posted as videos on the Janome HQ You Tube channel.

Follow us on the Janome HQ Facebook page and click on link HERE for more information on our NEW ONLINE classes!

Write me at Classes@Janome-Canada.com (copy and paste in a new browser) for more information about eventual on-site classes (when it’s safe) at The Janome Sewing and Learning Centre in Oakville, ON; Janome Canada’s Head Quarters.

Happy Sewing and #sharethejanomelove!

Sharing the LOVE – Spotlight on our Janome Dealer – Alliston Sewing Machine Services

Last month we announced a very exciting initiative to bring our love of sewing to Indigenous schools in remote communities in Canada. Janome Canada is donating a number of new Janome 2030 QDC machines as part of the I Love First Peoples Sew and Sew Program. We also put out a call to you, our loyal Janome fans, for help in collecting donations of much-needed sewing supplies, and also enlisted the help of a few of our Janome Dealers who are acting as donation drop-off locations.

For more about the donation drive, click HERE.

Cheryl Dobo, our Janome Dealer from Alliston Sewing Machine Services, in Alliston, ON (about an hour north of Toronto) was the first to raise her hand to volunteer, and is one of 3 participating dealers collecting donations until May 31st. Donations will later be sorted and shipped to the schools with the new machines.

Not only has Cheryl donated some items from her store, and her own sewing room (this cause is the perfect excuse to clean and purge your sewing room! lol!) she spread the word to share the love with her quilt guild, Quilting Corners Guild, and boy, did they deliver! lol! My car was full!

The first of TWO carloads of fabric and sewing supplies donations collected from our Janome Dealer, Alliston Sewing Machine Services, in Alliston, ON

Cheryl has been a Janome Dealer for about 5 years and runs her very busy business from her home. I was thrilled to see this sticker on the front door, so customers know they’re definitely in the right place when dropping off donations.

Isn’t this sew adorable!? Anyone can tell a sewist lives here, lol!

Cheryl is also a Janome Certified Service Technician, so she can sell you a fabulous new machine, and help maintain and repair it as needed. (she also repairs and services other makes and models of machines, not just Janome, lol!)

Though Alliston Sewing Machine Services is not a big shop, there’s lots of goodies to be had, no matter what machine you have. You can never have too many presser feet for your machine!

And just look at that yummy Madeira thread! It’s just like candy to me! Check out some previous Janome Life posts on Madeira thread, and, if you’re a follower of Janome HQ and our Instagram Live and You Tube presentations, you’ll regularly see the various Madeira threads in action. Janome Canada is a distributor, so be sure to check with your Janome dealer to get some. Just like presser feet, you have never have enough thread! lol!

Donations may also be dropped-off at Triangle Sewing Centre in Guelph, ON, at The Sewing Cafe in Georgetown, ON (more about these dealers in upcoming posts) and dropped-off at, or mailed to The Janome Sewing and Learning Centre in Oakville, ON.

For those who’d like to donate, but don’t live near the drop-off locations and would rather not mail, or ship items, consider making a financial contribution to the Sew and Sew program directly on the I Love First Peoples website.

Thank you to all who’ve donated to the cause and for helping to share the love of sewing! We’re accepting donations of new and gently used sewing supplies until May 31st, so there’s still time to give – and clean your sewing room, lol!

Happy Sewing!

Let’s take another look at the very popular Janome HD9

This Janome HD9 machine has rapidly become the Go To machine for many different types of sewists who require a strong, robust straight stitch machine.

It is extremely popular with bag makers who don’t hold back when speaking about how they love their HD9’s. I belong to the HD9 Facebook Group as well as Blue Calla patterns Facebook Group and frequently see people saying very good and complimentary things about this heavy duty machine – indeed HD stands for Heavy Duty! Celine from Blue Calla patterns is one of our Janome Canada artisans and the first machine she used with us as an artisan was this Janome HD9. She loved it so much she purchased it!

This bag was one of the first I made and it is not 100% perfect but I was proud of the accomplishment working with cork and vinyl for the first time plus silver satin for the piping. (Was I ambitious or just daft?!) The bag pattern is Swoon Patterns: The Charlotte City tote.

I notice that each subsequent bag I make, they get better or more close to being “perfect”. Don’t you think it is important to try new sewing techniques and be proud of your efforts rather than be overwhelmed and not even try? Can you spot my imperfection here? What I can tell you is that the Janome HD9 was an invaluable tool for sewing this bag as it just cruised through all those layers like a “hot knife through butter”. The narrow straight stitch foot as well as the ultra glide

Bag made by Celine at Blue Calla Creations with her Janome HD9. See this blog post. for more how to info on making a rolled handle.

But the HD9 is not just for people who make bags. People who sew with leather and vinyl and/or or heavy, thick fabrics for upholstery and marine/boating projects are particularly fond of this machine as it delivers the stitching and power they need despite using much thicker materials. Here is a link to a short video demonstrating just how this works. There is also a series of HD9 kits as optional extras. This is a link to the one for sewing leather.

The Ultra Glide foot for Janome HD9 works incredibly well for “sticky” and thicker fabrics like leather, vinyl etc.

AND the HD9 has a system with 2 different threading paths so you get the very best results when using regular thread and when you need to use a thicker, stronger thread. The BEST of both worlds I would say!

It is also a machine that quilters turn to for the precision straight stitch for piecing, walking foot quilting and free motion quilting…….not to forget mentioning the speed at which chain piecing gets done! And there is a Quilting kit for the HD9 too. For more information on the HD9 kits, click here.

For more information on sewing this cute zippered pouch click this link.

Seamstresses and people who do alternations with seams, hems, zippers and more also like the speed and accuracy of this straight stitch machine. Think denim jeans, winter coats, puffy jackets, household heavy duty projects! The Janome HD9 gives them the power of an industrial machine but the portability and convenience of a smaller machine.

If you would like an in-depth look at the Janome HD9, feel free to watch this video that Michael aka Janome recorded.

Saturday Sewing with Janome which gives you a great opportunity to Practice! Practice! Practice!

Do you need to practice your quilting before you tackle that quilt? Whether it’s walking foot quilting, free motion quilting, or ruler work, it’s a good idea to try it out before you start quilting that special quilt.

Most quilters have orphan blocks. Maybe the block didn’t turn out the right size, you weren’t happy with your fabric choices or maybe you decided not to make that quilt, but you don’t want to just toss them out. Orphan blocks make an excellent canvas for practicing quilting with minimal risk. So, grab those blocks, and layer your quilt sandwich. Try out a new walking foot design, work on your free motion skills, or pull out the rulers you bought but have been afraid to try.

• 

  AcuFeed Flex foot
  & open toe sole plate

• 

  Free Motion Quilting

• 

  Janome Rulers for Rulerwork

If you know me, you know I don’t throw much out. After I quilt these orphan blocks, I want to do something with them so I’m always looking for useful projects. Making bowl cozies is the latest of these projects. These bowl cozies are not only functional, but they are so lovely with their patchwork and quilting.

From orphan blocks to microwave cozies.

Orphan blocks come in many different sizes, but so do bowls so you can make these in any size. You can also trim your block down to make it smaller or add a border to make it bigger if you need a different size.

Place your orphan block on a piece of cotton batting that is at least a ½” bigger all the way around than the block is. I don’t use a backing, just the orphan block and batting. If you want a thicker cozy, use two layers of batting.

Note: If you intend to put the bowl cozies in the microwave, all your supplies must be 100% cotton. There is special batting that is guaranteed 100% cotton and there are lots of choices of 100% cotton thread, such as Cotona by Madeira. Fabrics must also be 100% cotton and may not have any metallic designs on them.

1. Mark the quilted sandwich on the back side (see below).
2. Cut out triangles.
3. Your sandwich will look like this.
4. Cut a piece of backing fabric in the same way.
5. Stitch the triangles closed on the sandwich.
6. Stitch the triangles closed on the backing fabric.
7. Your pieces now have a bowl shape.
8. Pin the sandwich and backing fabric right sides together.
9. Stitch all the way around with a quarter inch seam leaving an opening to turn.
10. Stitch the corners at an angle.
11. Trim the corners.
12. Turn to the right side.
13. Push out the corners.
14. Press the edges.
15. Top stitch the edge.
16. I also like to stitch through all layers to secure the sandwich to the backing in the middle of the cozy.
17. View from bottom.
18. View from top.

I love these so much that after running out of orphan blocks, I used scraps to make more blocks. The finished cozies make lovely hostess gifts: a step up from the plain ones.

Quilt on! Melissa Marginet

These finished cozies were sent to Mom for Mother’s Day.

Letters from the Long Arm: Batting 101

Did you know there is wrong side of batting? 

Batting is just as important in the quilting process as the fabric you choose for your quilt.  My favourite batting is wool.  I will often double layer the batting with a cotton on the bottom and wool on top.  This will create a nice loft on top with the cotton batting “pushing” the wool to the top instead of the back of the quilt.

When choosing batting remember the old adage you get what you pay for.  Same as the fabric you choose for the top.  Consider what the quilt will be used for to determine which batting to pick.  A standard batting would be an 80/20 blend which is priced right and gives a nice loft.  If your quilt is a wall hanging with a lot of quilting on it, you don’t need a lot loft so maybe a flat or low loft batting will be perfect.  Cotton batting is nice and soft but tends to be a little flatter than polyester batting.

Wool Batting on a Roll

Polyester batting has good loft, but because of it is synthetic, it does not breath as well as cotton or wool. Wool batting is warm and has excellent loft, but it can be a little pricier, so keep the wool for bed quilts.  Wool batting is great for hand quilting too! When considering wool batting, check to see if it is a washable batting if you intend to wash your quilt.

Janome Quilt Maker Pro 18 has a batting bar INCLUDED, which fits any size roll of any type of batting!

Don’t forget to take colour of batting into consideration, too.  If your quilt has a white background, it is best to use a bleached white batting to keep the white looking nice and crisp.  A natural batting is great for all other quilts except the really dark ones.  For dark coloured quilts, consider a black batting.  Remember that when quilting, the needle creates a little hole in the fabric, and you can sometimes see the batting, so use a black batting to prevent white batting showing through on dark quilts.

So, what is the wrong side of batting? On some battings the “dirty” side is the wrong side and should be placed down onto the backing.  Some battings will have little dimples on top that is the right side and should be face up while the little pimple looking side should go face down.  You want the needle of the machine to enter the batting as smoothly as possible to avoid having the batting stick out of the back. 

Once you have decided on your quilting design, you should then choose your batting accordingly.  For wall hangings, you may want a polyester/cotton blend batting that tends to be flatter and will hang well and can accommodate dense quilting very well.  If your quilt is for warmth, you may consider a wool or wool blend batting. There are so many combinations of batting and brands out there, just remember that the denser the quilting, the flatter the quilt will be. 

Monique

Sew4Home Mini Sewing Tips: Madeira

Madeira Thread

The ingredient that holds everything today + the frosting on the top!

By: Liz Johnson, Senior Editor, Sew4Home.com

As sewing enthusiasts there are some elements of the craft that become so omnipresent, we can forget how important they really are. At the top of that list is: thread! Without thread, everything falls apart on the inside, and the outside – that topstitching, decorative stitching, and embroidery we love – loses its luster.

But how do you know which thread to select from the hundreds of thousands of types, colors, and brands. Our first recommendation is to look for and stick with quality, like Madeira. It has been one of our favorite brands for years, because we know we can rely on Madeira for strength, dye consistency, and color selection.

If you’ve ever struggled through a project with breaks, tangles, fading, lint build up; you know not all thread is created equally. From raw material to finished spool, Madeira uses state-of-the-art equipment and manufacturing processes to test and inspect, insuring top thread performance under all conditions.

This attention to detail includes testing for tensile strength: how far a thread can stretch before it snaps as well as dye lot consistency and extends to how the thread is packaged with handy pop-and-lock spool caps and a variety of size options.

One thing you have to love about thread is how weight is calculated: the heavier the thread, the smaller the weight number. It would be super cool if our bathroom scales worked that way. If you want a fine thread for a delicate fabric, try a 50 or 80 weight (abbreviated wt.). If you need a thick thread for a top-stitching accent, try a 15 wt or 30 wt.

All that great thread science is one thing, but when it comes to look and feel – you need to go with your heart. We love that Janome Canada dealers have access to such a great range of Madeira Thread Collections. These boxes of eight, twelve or eighteen spools allow you to sample a thread type in a range of popular colors.

There are even gorgeous Treasure Chests of thread with up to 184 gorgeous spools.

Polyester is appropriate for the majority of fabrics and can be used for both hand and machine sewing. Madeira’s Aerofil is a great choice.

We are fans of Madeira Cotona Egyptian cotton thread with its beautiful matte finish. It is available in 30 weight as well as 50 and 80 weights that are amazing for quilting.

If you love machine embroidery, you’ll want to try Madeira Polyneon. Even though it might sound bright and flashy with “neon” in its name, the collection of 40 weight comes in all colors from fluorescents to pastels to jewels to variegated. There’s even a full metallic selection.

Going back to our cooking metaphor from the headline above, we like to think of thread as the spice that flavors our sewing. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types, weights, and colors to bring out the best look and the most professional finish to your next project.

Check with your local Janome Canada dealer to discover the Madeira Thread that’s right for you.

And also check out other Janome Life posts, Instagram and Facebook as April was Thread month at Janome Canada. Links to all of these can be found on our website

Janome HQ’s Instagram LIVE TODAY, WEDNESDAY 1pm EST

Join us LIVE at 1pm EST @janomehq Instagram page every Wednesday afternoon for our series, “Janome’s Magical Machine Mystery Tour” as we highlight a different machine in the Janome line. From entry level to Top of the Line; embroidery machines; longarm quilting machines; sergers and MORE, including some fabulous partner products to compliment those machines!

What machine and Janome goodies will we talk about this week? It’s a MYSTERY so you must tune in each week for the big reveal! Don’t worry if you can’t make the LIVE presentation, though. They’ll be stored in the IGTV icon on the Janome HQ Instagram Page and later posted as videos on the Janome HQ You Tube channel.

Follow us on the Janome HQ Facebook page and click on link HERE for more information on our NEW ONLINE classes!

Write me at Classes@Janome-Canada.com (copy and paste in a new browser) for more information about eventual on-site classes (when it’s safe) at The Janome Sewing and Learning Centre in Oakville, ON; Janome Canada’s Head Quarters.

Happy Sewing and #sharethejanomelove!